Advent /Advent Season (Dec 2 - Dec 24, 2007)
Advent means Coming, or Arrival. It is the beginning of the
church year, the 4th Sunday before Christmas. We light one of 5
candles each week on the Advent Wreath to count down the time to Jesus
birth, the 5th one being Christmas Eve.
Christmas/12 Days of Christmas (Dec 25, 2007 - Jan 5, 2008)
From the birth of Christ to the day the wisemen were supposed to have
brought gifts.
Epiphany (Jan 6 - Feb 5, 2008)
Epiphany means "to show, to make known, to reveal."
The wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child were the first
Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" (one of the first
indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all
races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to
only a few)
Ash Wednesday (Feb 6, 2008)
The first day of Lent - ashes on forehead signify humility &
acknowledgment of consequences of sin; this is a time of mourning and
reflection.
Lent (Feb 6 - March 22, 2008)
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts through Holy Saturday,
March 22. See more about Lent
Holy Week (March 16 - 22, 2008)
Holy week is the time leading up to Christ's resurrection, and
includes the following:
Palm Sunday (March 16, 2008)
When Jesus rode into town and the people waved palm branches.
Maundy Thursday (March 20, 2008)
When Jesus ate the last supper before his death with the 12
disciples & washed their feet
Good Friday (March 21, 2008)
Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion and burial
Holy Saturday (March 22, 2008)
The day Jesus rested in the tomb
Easter (March 23, 2008)
Jesus is resurrected from the dead!
The Season of Easter (March
23 - May 11, 2008)
Easter itself is a period of time rather than just a
day. It is actually a seven-week season of the church year called
Eastertide, the Great Fifty Days that begins at sundown the evening
before Easter Sunday (the Easter Vigil) and lasts for six more Sundays
until Pentecost Sunday (some traditions use the term Pentecost to
include these Fifty Days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday). These
seven Sundays are called the Sundays of Easter, climaxing on the seventh
Sunday, the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday. This is often
celebrated as Ascension Day (actually the 40th day after Easter Sunday,
which always falls on Thursday, but in churches that do not have daily
services it is usually observed the following Sunday). Ascension Day
marks not only the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but his
exaltation from servanthood to Ruler and Lord as the fitting climax of
Resurrection Day (Eph 1:20-22).
Pentecost (May 11, 2008)
The 50th day after Easter (including Easter); celebrating the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room w/Jesus and His
Disciples.
Ordinary Time/Season After Pentecost (May 12 -
November 29, 2008)
Advent Season (November 30 - December 24, 2008)
Begins the church year 2008-2009.
First Sunday of Advent: November 30, 2008
Second Sunday of Advent: December 7, 2008
Third Sunday of Advent: December 14, 2008
Fourth Sunday of Advent: December 21, 2008
